The Bill Farrell Memorial Invitational has extra importance this year. One spot at the Olympic Team Trials is up for grabs. The highest medaling American that has not already qualified will earn a berth in the trials. If no American is in the top 3 at a weight class a berth will not be earned. This qualifying spot is awarded in each weight class in all three styles.

The heightened importance of the event is reflected in the entries. The Bill Farrell has attracted deep fields of the top US wrestlers. Even with the NCAA season underway, top NCAA athletes that aren’t taking a redshirt this year will be making an appearance in NYC.

There will be some international competitors, but most of them outside of the Canadians are not registered on track wrestling at press time. Catch all the action Live on FloWrestling.

Greco-Roman:
59kg:
Anthonie Linares
Dmitry Ryabchinskiy
Ildar Hafivoz
Isaiah Varona
Jamel Johnson
Jermaine Hodge
Jesse Thielke
Justin LaValle
Max Nowry
Ruben Navejas
Sammy Jones
Spenser Mango
William Simpson

Most of the guys that figure to be in the mix for the Olympic spot are registered. The Army WCAP has quite a few athletes entered that will be battling for the qualifying spot in the Olympic Team Trials. Spenser Mango and Jesse Thielke have already qualified and will not count in the placements when considering the qualifying spot. The highest American finisher outside of Mango and Thielke will qualify for the trials.

Jermaine Hodge is the other National Team member from 2015 at 59kg. He doesn’t have to worry about Thielke and Mango taking the qualification spot, but the weight is plenty deep. He will have to wrestle well to earn the qualification spot.

Pick: Spenser Mango over Jermaine Hodge



66kg:
Alejandro Sancho
Bo Beckman
Brian Graham
Ellis Coleman
Hayden Tuma
Jessy Williams
Joe Warren
John Yeats
Lara Marco
Mason Manville
Michael Asselstine

One of the most intriguing entries of the tournament is at 66kg. “The baddest man on the planet,” Joe Warren was a 2006 world champion at 60kg and is entered here at 66kg. The field Warren will compete against is stout. 2015 trials runner-up Alejandro Sancho, 2012 Olympian Ellis Coleman, 2015 National Team member Brian Graham, and young stars Hayden Tuma and Mason Manville will all be in the field. Manville is the only one to be qualified for Iowa City.

Pick: Ellis Coleman over Alejandro Sancho

75kg:
Barrett Stanghill
Caleb Smith
Cheney Haight
Christopher Gonzalez
Colin Schubert
Curt Calovecchi
Dillon Cowan
Jacob Fisher
Jacob Deutschlander
Jesse Porter
Justin Lester
Kendrick Sanders
Michael Hooker
Michael Brant
Nick Tarpley
Vincent Torres

Andy Bisek sits in the Olympic trial final. The majority of the guys chasing the spot opposite of Bisek will be at the Bill Farrell. Only Justin Lester has secured a spot in the Olympic Trials, making this a very important event in the qualification procedure.

Non-Olympic weights sit just a few kilograms on each side of 75kg, and competitors are coming from both directions. Justin Lester was the World Team member at 71kg. Cheney Haight and Kendrick Sanders move into the weight to join Dillon Cowan and Jake Fisher to make four additional National Team members. Only the highest placing American outside of Justin Lester will earn a berth in Iowa City.

Pick: Justin Lester over Jacob Fisher

85kg:
Artur Nabiullin
Brandon Marshall
Jon Anderson
Kevin Radford
Khymbakhy Johnson
Mark Stenberg
Lucas Sheridan
Patrick Martinez
Phillip Barreiro
Thomas Barreiro

Jon Anderson made the finals series at 85kg, but came up short. Mark Stenberg made the National Team as well at 85kg. They are both looking to secure a spot in the Olympic Team Trials.

Patrick Martinez has a spot secured. He transitions up from 80kg where he was the World Team representative.

Lucas Sheridan has an extensive Greco Roman background in the developmental age levels. You have to believe he will be a factor training full time in the WCAP.

Pick: Jon Anderson over Patrick Martinez

98kg:
Caylor Williams
Daniel Miller
Jacob Hayes
Jarod Trice
Kevin Beazley
Orry Elor
Ruslan Mukhamadiyarov

Caylor Williams earned his Olympic Team Trials spot when he made the 2015 World Team. He earned that spot by defeating Kevin Beazley in Ithaca. Beazley seems to be the guy to outplace here at the Bill Farrell in order to secure the spot in the Olympic Team Trials. 

Pick: Caylor Williams over Kevin Beazley



130kg:
Adam Coon
Charles Thoms
Eric Fader
Toby Erickson
Zach Merrill

Adam Coon and Toby Erickson are two of the greatest threats to Robby Smith’s reign over the 130kg weight class. They were the National Team members in 2015 and should be the two dueling it out for the qualification spot at Bill Farrell.

Pick: Toby Erickson over Adam Coon

**entrant lists as of 12:00pm Tuesday, November 3rd